Means for coating metal articles



Dec. 18, 1934.

R. K. LEE

MEANS FOR COATING METAL ARTICLES Original Filed Feb. 1, 1930 INVENTOR LE15 TTOEY ROGER K.

Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIEANS FOR COATINGMETAL ARTICLES Roger K. Lee, Highland Park, Mich., assignor to ChryslerCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware 4 Claims.

This invention relates to means for coatin metal articles and it is adivision of my oo-pending application Serial No. 425,311.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved method forcoating articles, particularly steering wheels; to provide a method ofthis kind by which successive coatings, such as coatings of hard rubbercompositions may be applied and hardened or cured in rapid sequence; toprovide an improved means for heat treating successively applied thinlayers of coating materials; and to provide means 01' this kind by whicha rubber coating is cured substantially uniformly throughout its entirethickness.

An illustrative embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of my improved coating apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of a rubber coated steering wheel.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the form of my invention shown, the coating apparatus comprises astationary support or housing 1 which is mounted on a base or floormember 2. Journaled in the housing 1 is a rotatable support 3 which hasa central passage 4. The rotatable member 3 is journaled in bearings 5and 6 at its respectively. opposite ends and is supported by a flange 7on its upper end. The lower end of the passage 4 communicates with aninlet pipe 8 through which steam or other suitable heating medium issupplied to the passage 4 by a pipe 9. A packing gland 10 forms a sealbetween the inlet 8 and the lower end of the rotatable support 4 so asto prevent leakage of the heating medium.

A plug 11 having a branched passage 12 communicating at one end with thepassage 4 of the rotatable support is threaded in the upper end of saidpassage. Rigidly mounted on the intermediate part of the rotatablesupport 3 is a bevel gear 13 which meshes with a pinion 14 on the shaft15 of an electric motor 16.

The plug 11 extends beyond the upper end of the rotatable support 3 andhas a nut 1'7 and washer 18 on its extremity by means of which a tubularsteering wheel core 19 is rigidly secured to the support member 3 so asto rotate in unison therewith. The outlets of the branched passage 12 ofthe plug 11 communicate with the interior of the steering wheel so as todischarge heating medium thereinto. The lower side 20 of the hub of thewheel is seated upon the top of the flange 7 of the rotatable support 3and the washer 18 is seated upon the upper side 21 of the hub so as toprevent leakage of heating medium from the apertures through which theplug 11 extends.

Adjacent the periphery of the steering wheel core 19 is an upright pipe22 through which a liquid coating composition is supplied to a pair ofspray nozzles 23 and 24 which are located above and below the steeringwheel core respectively. The entire spraying, rotating and heatingapparatus is enclosed within a removable casing or dome 26 which may belifted by the eyes 27 and removed from the apparatus while the core 19is being replaced.

Any suitable composition of hard rubber solutions may be introduced intothe pipe 22 under pressure. A rubber composition consisting ofsubstantially 100 parts of purerubber, 50 parts of sulphur and 40 partsof lime produces a suitable spraying composition when dissolved inbenzol.

In operation, the rotatable support 3 and core 19 are rotated in unisonwith each other by the motor 16 and gears 13 and 14 while steam isintroduced into the interior of the steering wheel core through thepassages 4 and 12. The nozzles 23 and 24 apply the coating composition,preferably a rubber solution, to a limited portion of the core as it isrotated and internally heated. One complete rotation of the coreproduces a layer of rubber which is rapidly cured and caused to bond tothe metal by the internally supplied heating medium. Subsequentrotations of the wheel produce superimposed layers which are in turncured by heat from within the core. A coating of a desired thickness maybe applied to the core 19 in this manner and by properly timing thespeed of rotation of the core with respect to the curing periodrequired, one layer may be completely cured before the next successivelayer is applied.

Articles which will not permit of internal heating may be heated eitherin the coating chamber by passing heated air therethrough or they may beheated in a furnace before they are mounted for rotation relative to thespray nozzles. When internal heating is employed the coating may becured by continuing the supply of steam after the discharge of thecoating compound has been discontinued and when the articles are notinternally heated, they may be removed and cured by a separate heattreatment.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has herein beenshown and described, it will be understood that various changesincluding the size, shape and arrangement of parts, may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention and it is not my intention tolimit its scope other than by the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for coating wheels comprising a rotatable support, meansfor securing a hollow wheel core on said support including a memberdetachably secured to said support and core for fixing the latter tosaid support and having a passage for supplying heating medium to theinterior of said core, a driving member for rotating said core, and apair of spray nozzles, one above and the other below said core forapplying a coating composition thereon.

2. Apparatus for coating a hollow article including a stationarysupport, a rotatable support journaled on said stationary support havinga passage therein, one end of said passage being in communication with asource of heating medium, means detachably securable to said rotatablesupport and receivable in a passage extending through said article forsecuring the latter on said rotatable support, and having a passagecommunicating with the passage of the latter and with the interior ofsaid article and including a member for sealing one end of the passageof said article, and sprays for applying a coating composition on alimited portion of said article during rotation thereof.

3. Apparatus for coating a hollow wheel core including a stationarysupport, a rotatable support journaled on said stationary support havinga passage therein, one end of said passage being in communication with asource of heating medium, means detachably securable to said rotatablesupport and receivable in a central passage in said core for securingthe latter on said rotatable support and having a passage communicatingwith the interior of said core and passage of said rotatable support; adriving member for rotating said rotatable support and said core, spraysfor applying a coating composition on a limited portion of the coreduring rotation thereof, and an enclosure surrounding said apparatus.

4. Apparatus for coating a hollow wheel core including a rotatablesupport having a surface substantially normal to its axis for engagingone side of the hub portion of said core and sealing the correspondingend of the hub passage thereof. said support having a passagecommunicating at one end wth a source of heating medium, a fixturedetachably securable to the hub portion of said core and to said supporthaving a passage for supplying said heating medium to the interior ofsaid core and including a member engageable with the other side of thehub portion of said core for sealing the corresponding end of the hubpassage thereof and adapted to maintain the first mentioned side of saidhub portion in sealed engagement with said surface of said support, adriving member for rotating said support, and sprays for applying acoating composition on the external surface of said core during rotationthereof.

ROGER K. LEE.

